The ceremony will be officiated by General Charles H. Jacoby, Jr., Commander of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado.

General Handy's previous assignment was as Director of Operations, Plans, Requirements and Programs, Headquarters Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii. He replaces Lt. Gen. Stephen L. Hoog, who departs to become Assistant Vice Chief of Staff and Director, Air Staff, United States Air Force, Pentagon, Washington D.C.

Alaskan Command integrates activities of more than 22,000 active duty, Guard and Reserve members from all military services in Alaska as a sub-unified command of U.S. Pacific Command. Eleventh Air Force oversees the training and readiness of five Air Force wings and Air Force installations located in Alaska, Hawaii, and Guam. The Alaskan North American Aerospace Defense Command Region directs bilateral air operations with Canada within Alaska to ensure defense against all hostile airborne threats. Joint Task Force Alaska is a joint command under U.S. Northern Command responsible for the planning and execution of all homeland defense and defense support to civil authorities operations within the state.